I watched as the door was closed behind the last customer left my office. It was about time for if I had to stand another minute longer in her company I couldn’t guarantee that my hands would not have found a spot around her neck. I sighed and unlocked the upper most drawer of my desk.

I’d have a few more moments before my next customer would be entering. They wouldn’t mind the smell of alcohol on my breath. I took a few large swallows to steady my nerves.

I haven’t had a good nights rest since leaving the prison a few weeks back. Every dark corner has me nervous when I pass. I’m afraid of shadows. I’m tired of being afraid. I’m tired of being watched. I’m tired of not knowing who all is watching me.

I closed the lid on my flask and tucked it back in its private compartment. A warm smile covered my face when I went to the door and called in my next customer.

Lady Faeti Morning Glory was always a sight and today was no different. Her golden locks were pulled back demurely from her face into a small braid that went down to the small of her back. There was a faint dusting of black and blue beneath her almond shaped eyes. The gods knew she used powers to try to cover and conceal the blemishes.

The smile she extended was just as real as my own, but it just didn’t reach the usual radiance she always had for people. I didn’t blame her and embraced her as if she was family.

“Good afternoon Lady Morning Glory” I murmured politely.

Her whispered greeting was spoken in the dialect of the trolls.

I scanned the hall and informed my secretary to cancel my next appointment; I’d be out of the office. By the time I turned around to go into my office Fae had already made herself at home in the chaise lounge near the fire place. There was something rigid in her posture that upset me. She wasn’t the same woman she was a few months ago. What all had changed I didn’t know and I wanted to ask.

Instead I closed and locked the door then moved over to take a seat across from her.

“I know what you have to talk to me about isn’t private or you’d have told it to me over drinks last night. What brings you here of all places, today Fae-Fae?”

She lifted her head to stare at me eye to eye. The tears were forming already and I bit my lip. I hated to see a woman or child crying. It was raw emotions best endured in the privacy of home. Seeing her cry could almost make sympathy tears form on my face.

“Shush.. Don’t start that now” I continued leaning forward. We were dressed so differently. She was wearing a dress that showed more skin than even I am comfortable displaying in a shower. Yet she never moved shy or hesitantly, it was always with the grace and confidence of a woman in charge. Whereas I was wearing a pair of solid black slacks, matching dress shoes, a spotless white blouse, with a dark grey vest over it all.

“The sooner you tell me what is wrong Fae-Fae, the sooner I can fix it” I promised and waited to see if she could get control of her emotions.

“I’m not sure you can” she said before hiccupping. Her nails were pristine and painted a soft pastel pink. The color most resembling the inside of a large shell upon the beach. She took out an old stack of parchment that had been folded a few times.

“I found this when cleaning out her personal things...” was all Faeti could tell me before she broke down into large gut wrenching sobs.

I took the papers from her and began reading them immediately. By the sixth line I had an idea of the problem. It was a large problem and I’d probably need to go get some help to flush out all the necessary paperwork. It would only be complicated a bit because the woman this was all in reference to had been literally gun downed in front of a large audience.

I hadn’t been there at the time but the news of it all had run like a wild fire in a dry forest. The wreckage of the Morning Glory house began with the appearance of an outcast from the family. My customer’s aunt, Lady Rhaeclya had entered the grand house within the city and paid the last visit to the head of the house. He was murdered as some said in front of the wait staff.

In my opinion, he had justice served.

He wasn’t the only one to have died that night. I wasn’t there for when his wife met a similar fate by a different family member. The old woman’s fate wasn’t as easy. Instead she spent hours in agony as her grand-daughter took shots at her systematically between the swipes of a few hostile lionesses. Only to be brought back to life by the youngest grand-daughter to go through it all over again.

It was only when the Mistress Eroti was too exhausted to restore life once more to the grandmother did the old woman receive a final rest. Now weeks later, the old woman’s belongings were being gone through and this letter she wrote to explain it all was being read by me.

I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I could only imagine what the warm hearted Fae had to have thought to know the things being said in this letter directed to her. I scanned the pages to look for a date but none was found. I wondered how many years ago this had been penned in such calm and steady hands.

I looked up to Faeti’s tear stained face and spoke softly, “Weren’t you the one who told Dio that families can be made from anything? We do not have to share the same blood to know and experience the strong connection of love and trust?”

I watched her nod her head to agree before I continued on, “What she wrote won’t change the things that happened in the past. You didn’t cause them and it wasn’t your fault. You were a product of it. You don’t have to do what she asked of you. You can let that secret rest in the grave it’s been in for the last sixty odd years”

Her lower lip quivered as she thought over what I was suggesting.

“I can not lie like that to take over what the family acquired” was all she said to me.

I had so much I wanted to say to her. So much I wanted to point out to her. Instead I sighed deeply and leaned back in my chair to a think it over for a few before finally speaking.

“You were the one who started most of those projects. It’s your kind and gentle heart that led you to create those groups to assist the children’s orphanage, to make those refuges, to provide aid for those in need. You are not lying to gain ill begotten gains or for greed. You are continuing the perceptions created by your grandfather to preserve the rest of the families honor and to spread assistance to more people than just your family. Accept it, so you can provide a promising future to your nieces and their children to come”

I could tell that the prospect of taking care of the family was having the desired effect. A small smile touched her lips when I had mentioned that part.

“Think it over Fae. You have a few more days as the rest of the maters are still being figured out…”

Tikitiki turned her head to the side as she peered up at Zikiziki with the most innocent expression possible upon her face. Then she waited just long enough that she could step closer and wrap the fingers of one hand around one of his wrists before answering the large troll’s question.

“Tikitiki find finger. No idea how finger get to Tikitiki hand. Tikitiki share if Zikiziki hungry.”

She barely stood up past thigh and he more than outweighed her a few times over. Yet she still loved the feeling of her small hand against his muscled flesh even if his wrist was wider across than the palm of her hand.

Generously, the little gnome lifted up the freshly cooked piece of meat in offering to the troll, waiting to see what he might say next.

I could smell them long before I was standing next to them. It brought tears to my eyes and made my nose run. I didn’t want to open my mouth once I was standing face to face with them but I had no other choice. If I wanted to make this quick as possible we’d have to talk so I could get on my merry way.

“Did they make it to you without breaking?” I inquired while looking anywhere but the face before me.

The raspy voice was hard to understand at first. I hate trying to converse with the forsaken. I don’t see why we need to have the corpses running around as if they were alive and had a right to be.

“Ah, yes, thank you for making this batch for me. I’ll see to it they are given to those who will be handing them out.” I had to be nice, because I wanted them to continue doing the work they did.

The jars of perfume were stacked in a box with many little dividers to prevent them from banging into each other and breaking. It would make the transportation of them that much quicker. I held it within two hands and backed away slowly, half listening to what was being told to me.

“Yes. Please make another batch for next month. Thank you!” and then I was off to leave undercity and take the magical means over to Silvermoon City. There was a new Union going strong that wanted donations to give to new travelers. The box in my hand would do quite nicely for them…. who would turn away such a sweet smelling fragrance?

But first… I had to add something to it. If a person or two died over it no one would look at me. Not at all. My name and label was nowhere to be seen on these jars.

The fresh scent of burning wood and various delicacies being roasted among the roaring flames could set any mouth to water. It was certainly having a desired effect on those nearby who were tending to the two large bomb fires. One was shaped in a large circle with old ocean dried logs forming a triangle over the top. Dangling from this make shift spit were various large scorpions and boars; the two native animals to the Durator region that had numerous recipes for them.

The other fire was oddly shaped for those who never visited a cook out as the one taking place that moment. The flames danced eagerly in a span of about two and half feet across and a little over six feet in length. It was almost rectangular shape but that did nothing to prevent those from cooking the main course inside it.

“ey Mon… who we missing ‘night?” asked one of the Iki members of the tribe as he pointed to the fire the trolls were taking their turns to inspect. Every so often a sprinkle of this and that for seasonings was being offered from the various guests to the spirits of the flame for preparation of dinner.

Sikisiki shrugged and peered around the crowd of faces. The skin tones of the trolls varied from shades of green to blue with hair colors as varied as a dozen wild birds in any uninhabited jungle.

“Tikitiki hit raptor trainer in head with little rock. Tikitiki didn’t mean to hurt him too bad but he no move after rock. Tikitiki only wanted raptor to take Tikitiki places but he no give Tikitiki one” came the soft reply of the little gnome bouncing around behind a moving fetish mask.

A large yet gentle hand came down on Tiki’s shoulder as Zikiziki moved closer and squat down besides her. He said something into her ear that only she heard but it was enough for her to giggle wildly and move back closer to his chest and offer a reply.

The answer of who was dinner tonight didn’t seem to shed any tears or cause any grievances. Life was life and it was just as assured to happen as the sea was to come to shore as it did not even twenty feet from their little haven.    

“Where be MikiMiki” another troll inquired looking for one of the raving beauties the males could easily admire from a far. She had the curves men dreamed about and made some of the other women green with envy.

“She be coming soon to find a new mate….” started another of the trolls before he was interrupted by some rude gestures of the younger males and their boasts of being the next one to fancy her sheets.

“Hush!! Rikiriki almost here. He tell us where tribe meet meets again for next tribe meet” came the daffy reply of a girl who longed to be like Miki and grew tired of the desired looks the men had when they talked about the other woman. No one seemed to notice that they had just created a tribe meet in order to know where the first tribe meet was.

“Will they let us meet in Durator again?”

“No, no… they don’t want us here no more. They say we eat too much. We must go elsewhere” the answer was not necessarily the truth but with the voice of authority it was for them. There was no question over how much was eaten, rather what was being served.

“We go to Silvermoon City!!! They have plenty of pointed ear fair folk. No one miss a few if they go missing!!!”

“No, no. They to skinny. There is no meat on them…”

“We keep them for a week and fatten them up!!”

“Why our great ancestor Lakilaki tried to have a pointed ear for a month. Feed him ‘every day but no meat stick to bone.”

“No, no..There be no men in pointed ear city. All girls with big hair and no fat. They get males from human city to make little ones.”

“They cry too much. We go to Undercity!!! They have people sleeping in boxes all over the place!!! No one would notice them missing!!!”

“No, No” came a chorus of replies against that idea.

“Undercity has bad meat.”

“Rotten meat”

“No, no.. It moves. Good meat only wiggles before cooking. You no find moving things in meat when it done. That bad meat…”

 “Big blue pointed ear city in tree. Many people there!!!”

“They taste good…” responded one troll while groaning and rubbing his stomach in a circle.

 “No, no… They all get swords when ‘dey see us coming. ‘Dey no like us to be around to pick good fat ones”

“’ey, ey… We get little people from the machines. Can cook all meat just so none burn too much to cook all!!”

“No, no… they too little. Need many gnomes to feed tribe. Not enough apples for mouths.”

“We go to thunder bluff!!! They ALL big and fat and juicy”

A few groans and grunts was the immediate reply to that for an agreement. “They be really big there. Only need two to feed whole tribe. Who miss two?”

“We tell Rikiriki idea!! Rikiriki will know good place to go find meat”

Little Nekoti yawned sleepily as she continued playing with her dolls. There were no other children playing with her, instead it was her soft little voice as she acted out different voices for each one. Unknown in her innocence that the scene was wrong nor was it being ignored by the one watching her today.

“Your actions make me do this to you” Nekoti said as she moved a doll that had all of her hair cut off to make it boyish. A moment later the movement stopped as a large tawny colored paw came down to swat at the moving object. Claws had never been extended by the lioness when she retrieved the doll as easily as she did to the dismay of the little girl.

“BELLE! Give that back to me!” she demanded but her protests were cut short as her aunt Rhaeclya stepped over to them. A momentary chastise of “No” to the lioness had Belankar roll over to the other side and begin grooming herself in a huff.

Nekoti resumed playing with the doll after Rhae gave it to her only to have her aunt take a seat across from her to ask her who those dolls were. Eagerly, Nekoti began answering every question with names so similar to those in the family but just a little different.  When Rhae asked one particular question, Nekoti began crying in earnest saying she couldn’t tell, he told her to not tell or she’d be in very big trouble if she did not keep their secret.

Rhaeclya comforted the child. By the time the tears stopped, little Nekoti was a sleeping angel when her mother and Dioti returned to their makeshift tent out in the Bazin. They were extremely busy in getting a new house built for them outside of Silvermoon City.
 

Dioti sighed as she turned away from Ero to open a few of the drawers in her engineering lab. She knew where most of the things were because she had designed cabinets with various size compartments to hold each and every bolt, nut, or pieces she might need in a pinch.

“Daesong came in here two hours ago, telling me I should not be giving you such dirty books to read. What did you tell her and what are you reading?”

Eroti mentally cursed Daesong a time or two even as she moved to try and stand in front of Dioti. The sulking, pouting, and crying with trembling lips only worked when Dio could see it. Right now, all Ero was doing was staring at her back.

“I’m readying what you gave me!”

Dioti didn’t believe Ero one bit but she nodded turning around with a handful of tiny metal circles. “Can you show me it?”

What did I get myself into now, Ero cursed herself even as she leaned down to open up her backpack. The trashy was still inside but she picked it up and stepped over to hand it to Dio.

“This is not that book!”

A shocked expression covered Ero’s face almost on perfect queue. “Oh!! I guess its not. I had picked up that book you told me to read about the trolls. Except, when at the gambling table I set it down next to some other books and I must have picked up someone else’s book by mistake. They both look the same…..” How sweet and soft little lies could sprout from her lips.

“Uh huh. Well I’ll just keep this book and find its rightful owner. You can help me do that tonight, since Grandfather said you are not to be going to that concert tonight.”  

Eroti pouted for real this time, staring up at Dio. She really wanted to push the matter further to be able to go to Grimm’s concert, but Dio was also offering her a way out of possibly being punished by the grandfather tonight.

“All right... but can we at least go to the concert for a few moments…?”  

Eroti felt the heat turning her cheeks a soft pink when she thought of the forsaken warlock and his guitar playing. But, oh yeah, she wasn’t suppose to be thinking of him when she was trying to answer how the gambling night had went.

“Oh… I won the game and I have the game card somewhere around here” Eroti muttered even as she leaned down to pet her new puppy and search in her bags for the thick piece of paper. When it was found stuck between her latest romance novel to be reading, Ero blushed an even brighter red.

“Dio suggested I read that…” was her muttered reply before the banker could chastise her. It was a minor lie after all; Dio did suggest reading a book that had a red cover like the one in her bag except the other topic was boring about some troll empire in Zul’Grub. 

"What do you think of Fluffy?" Ero changed the subject while pointing to the little worg now trying to chew on Daesong's leather boot.

Score Sheet

Grimm (7, 2, 9, 6, and 7) Total: 31

Tigriis (7, 7, 5, 10, and 7) Total: 36

Eroti (9, 11, 8, 8, and 4): Total 40

** a note to Keiri **

For a little over two hours starting from 7:00 various people came to the Darkmoon Fair to enjoy the festivities. Most of them though were mean and heartless in destroying my tonk first and foremost!! It just wasn’t fair! It started off with Sir Kez did his crazy stunts in which can give any healer a heart attack watching!! He jumped from the cliff of the Thunderbluff city down to the audience… and lived!! What magic he did on that death defining stunt is unknown as he refused to tell.

Then there was a surprise concert from Grimm in which he left me dance along to the music he was playing. After that we went to the fair to enjoy the fortune telling, slushies, played a few games of catch with leather balls a little boy was giving away, and battled with the steam tonks. Out of all my car’s destructions, I only managed to destroy one other tonk. I hope to get better before the next battle… or maybe glue the bombs into the player’s controllers… Do you think you can come up with a way to make the other peoples tonks not work?

~ Ero

The huntress Tiati stretched leisurely as she got out from the hammock she had been resting comfortably within. The sun’s track across the sky said the afternoon was halfway past. In a few short hours it would be evening and time to light the bonfires, drop some kegs, and enjoy another rowdy evening of getting drunk and enjoying life.

She looked towards the dock and the new ship docking in the private harbor. Who knew what kind of booty might be taken to shore tonight? She pondered that even as she headed in the other direction through the cave entrance and into the desert of Tanaris.

There were a few tasks she had to do, before her guild enjoyed a time of merriment at the Darkmoon fair. It wasn’t something she could go to, even if she would have loved to spend the time there with her daughter. There was just something about the green skinned folk that drove her crazy. Past humiliation by one served as a death sentence to all that looked similar. They were an easy target for whatever gun or bow she might have on her. If weaponless, she was still capable to murder the little green pond scum with her bare hands.

Just thinking about them set her heart beating within her chest and a slow, cool rage burning through her blood stream. Tiati shook her head and called her black war talbuk to her side. Within moments she was heading towards the goblin village to the south. She could appease her hunger and take out one or two before getting the items her guild wanted for their affair at seven bells tonight, the first day of the Darkmoon Fair.  It was after all, their fault she wouldn’t be spending any time with her offspring tonight.

Eroti bounced into the room a fiery example of happiness and enthusiasm. “Did Dio show you the pictures she took of the last concert on the 4th? The one where Grimm allowed me to dance while he was playing his songs?”

Even as Ero asked the questions she was shoving a stack of pictures into the hands of a few friends and her aunt and uncle. She didn’t pause to hear the answers, instead she ran off to find her other aunts Rhaeclya and Faeti hoping to inquire about a few new outfits she needed tailored.
 

** From Daesong’s perspective **

I still do not know why I have been spending more time in or around jail cells. I have been in here now going on six hours. I am tired and hungry. The last drink to touch my lips was the glass of wine I had during my lunch. I keep answering questions about my whereabouts on the night of the other two murders and I am not lying. I don’t want to be here. I’ve gone over all of these details at least ten times. When will they see I did not murder anyone?

I sighed as the captain of the guard came back into the room. No doubt he was going to start asking more questions. Instead he surprised me with what he said when he sat down in the chair across the table from me.

“I must apologize for your rude treatment today, Miss Daesong.” He said to me like those few words would remove the last few days of humiliation and annoyance he has caused me? I just leaned back in my chair and looked at him. Saying nothing I waited until he would continue talking which he did after a moment of silence.

“Another person has been murdered today. I know you could not have done that since we had you in custody when the gentleman was here also for questioning. A guard had went to his home to give him the book he forgot in the other room, only to find the man dead in his house.”

I knew he was watching me closely, searching to see if I was truly as shocked as I was. Did he think I was hiring an assassin to murder possible competition? All of my aches and pains and mild complaints I had been thinking were forgotten in that moment.

“What friend of mine has been murdered now? When will you see it’s not me but someone out to get me?” I asked. He was quiet as he debated telling me who. It probably wasn’t common knowledge yet and they were most likely still doing an investigation.

“I can’t tell you anything else, Miss Daesong. You can leave here now but you will have a guard keep with you at all times.” 

It was another hour before I left with my new escort. I couldn’t stay in Silvermoon City any longer; I wanted to get away from it all so I went to the magical orb that would take me the quickest and the farthest away I could go.

It was to Undercity that I went. An hour later I was at the Tavern and Inn that was hosting the gambling nights. The inn keeper gave me the package Faeti had left with him for me. Inside it were a few pages of her account of the event, the score sheet card, and the printed photos that Dioti had taken during the party.

 ** Note **

“I hope it was okay that I left all of these things with the inn keeper. My guild did a date auction to raise some funds to help prepare the gear for our next adventure into Ulduar. I can not believe someone paid 560 gold to take me on a date. Dioti will add the pictures to the bundle once she gets them processed tonight. Grimm won the 250 gold pot and has already received the gold. I’ll be in touch later to talk about the details! There are a few photos from Grimm's concert that took place a couple of hours before the gambling  ~ Fae”

Eroti took a seat in one of the chairs near the two open tables in the company of a newly acquainted death knight named Ixi. It didn’t take them long to talk about the events that would be taking place in a few hours, events that for the last couple of hours Eroti had been helping prepare and arrange. Then Merk, an old friend of sorts, showed up with a few others in the area.

One thing led to another and somehow Eroti and Merk got caught up into playing a game of dice for a pot worth ten gold. The rounds were fun even if Merk thought Eroti cheated when she rolled one set of dice that gave her two sixes. In the five rounds of rolls Merk managed to get an 8, a 4, an 8, a 7, and finally another 8. Ero on the other hand, seemed to be favored by the dice with a 9, a 12, a 7, a 10, and lastly a 6.

When totaled, she had the clear advantage and received the pot while being called a cheater! She couldn’t imagine that, but she was so excitedly looking forward to seeing what all might happen tonight. It was to take place in a few short hours and she had yet to convince her elders to let her attend!!

Lady Faeti seated on the bench inside the afternoon solar room stared down towards her niece lovingly. “You can not go tonight; you are much too young little one”.

The little girl’s firsts curled into balls even as she kicked the toy car away from her in a temper. “I wanna go” she cried back.

“You can not. Tonight’s affairs are not ones that you should be around. It’s unseemly for a growing young lady to go there and do that”

“Then why are you going auntie?” came the angelic voice of Eroti from the other end of the room.

Faeti smiled to her niece and bite her lip. Why was she going indeed? She mused to herself. “I’m not going to the actual gambling tables tonight. I’m only going so I make sure the decorations are in order and to bring the bags down to the head of the crafters union so he can give them out. It’s a new group of people hoping to have more people traveling the borders and the lands with items they need as well as those that they can spread among and trade with those they meet.”

Somewhere during the middle of Faeti’s speech little Neko got bored and started to pay attention to something else in the room, pulling out the threads in the blanket Faeti had put aside working on earlier in the morning.

“Could I come with you then? So I can see the charitable good works you are doing and learn from them and you?” Eroti curtsied before she took a seat on the bench next to her aunt. The soft green eyes fluttered closed as she tried to behave as demurely as possible.

“You only ask that so you can tell Dio or Tesaes that you are with me, when in fact you are running off to go dance in.. that horrible place! You will stay home tonight, with your cousins.” Faeti was quiet for a moment, feeling horrible because of the tears forming in her little nieces eyes. Fae then continued softly, “Besides, Tiati is coming home from Dalaran tonight. She’d be vastly disappointed if you were not here to see”

Neko picked up on that in a heart beat, shouting, “My mommy is coming home?” The excitement was apparent in her voice and the instant smile upon the little girls face.

“Yes, yes she is. She said she will be here once she finishes working out a trade with a vendor inside the mage’s magical city.” Faeti responded, tucking one of her golden locks of hair behind her pointed ear. “So wouldn’t you two rather stay here to see her tonight, rather than make her travel all that way to see naught but empty beds?”

“Yes” was echoed by the two youngest girls.

“Okays, so can you two be little dears and give these notes to Dioti to look over and post?”

Eroti jumped up to take both, but Faeti purposely gave each girl one to carry and give to Dio. “Stay together!”

* First note (IC) *

* Second Note: stapled to a copy of the guild charter. (IC)*

The Charter that was recently turned in to the Guild Headmaster in Undercity (IC)

The Crafters Union is responsible for distributing wares gathered and created by the members to those who seem to be in need. This bartering is not for profit but for the idea that goods a beginning traveler could use and to help them be properly supplied for the adventures that lay ahead of them.

They will gladly accept any extra supplies that may be lying around unused. Send all donations to Nekoti. The Crafters Union is also looking for members to help them run this new operation. Send all applications to Nekoti.

Barely a moment passed between Eroti waving goodbye to the friendly troll that escorted her to the blood elf village before the pointed eared devil booked a flight to the main city she called home. There was after all no time to spare when she was confused and worried about the events that had happened at the storytelling night.

She had the long flight to rethink everything and she used that time well. Her dark lashes kissed her cheeks as she closed her eyes to help her concentration. At first all she could see was the river they all meet nearby at first. It was such a lovely site. Then she focused on the bridge the group had gathered on. The people were a blur at that point. Hardly anyone talked and a few people were set up in pairs cuddling and kissing.

 Eroti continued to mentally trace the steps of the friendly group. They headed north along the road, traveling safely in their great number. They went through the city Eroti had just left and still a little north before leaving the paved street to go off towards the side.

Some yards further they all moved before a few camp fires were set up. Some people introduced themselves and that was when she saw a masked male orc and a crazy blood elf guy. Neither of which introduced themselves. A few others did but at the time she had been a little to interested in keeping an eye on the guy trying to put his dirty hands on her.

The stories were told one after another. Some were scary… some were funny, and a few were just well, confusing. Eroti couldn’t believe the person who had stood before her was a real vampire. They seemed to all be talks of mythology and lore…. But just to be on the safe side she already figured she would ask the Historian of the family if it was possible.

 One story was told, or well, maybe acted out which stood out from all the other stories. It was the murder of a person at the campfire. At first she thought it was just a story… but the more she thought about it, she was worried if it could be related to the other two murders that were still presently unsolved.

Before she could continue that thought, a tap on her shoulder pulled the little elf out of her reverie and back to reality.

“Oh, sorry”, she mumbled quietly even as the flight master took her hand and helped her off the back of the dragonhawk. She flashed him a friendly smile then left quickly to find either Daesong or Dioti. Either one of them would do for her to tell them about the possible murder.

** From the perspective of Daesong **

The look on the other occupants face was beyond priceless when I was led into the jail cell. I could tell he was trying to think of why I was in there and I knew he knew who exactly I was. I am one of the most respectable bank tellers that work inside Silvermoon City. My cliental are the elites and those who are worthy of special attention. 

I was dressed in casual black slacks, a white silk shirt, with a button down vest embossed with subtle diamonds and emeralds. Those jewels on my body were probably worth more than he would make in a lifetime. Yet here I was sharing his cell. I didn’t need to wear an identification tag; people knew I am the manager of the bank located in the Royal district. I earned that position many years ago before I got into the mess that has brought me in this confinement.

He looked me over leeringly. I smiled warmly. The type of smile I would give to even a sourpuss client that was obnoxious to deal with. I never let people know they bothered me even if they did. This guy didn’t bother me. I knew within the hour I would be out of here and he would still remain right where he was for whatever crime he may or may not have done.

I took the moment to size him up as well as the room. I never miss details. I’m very observant and that’s what gave me this position at the bank. Not only was I very organized, proficient, I could remember anything if I saw it just once. I could identify and compare things within seconds able to solve many problems. I was one of the people that sat on the board of treasury for the bank, as well as the one for inspection and appraisal of antiques. It was these two positions in particular that led me down this life of trouble and excitement.

The room itself was small. There was one long bench along the wall facing the small window if it could even be called that. It was like a small slit in the wall covered by both bars and glass that left in just enough light that the room would not be total darkness. The third wall was solid stone and the fourth solid bars.

Through that last wall I could see what I had passed in getting here; a long room with a desk on either end. One was empty and it presumably belonged to the jailor who led me into this room. At the other was a burly looking orc who had a book opened up before him that he was reading.

I turned to look at the other occupant again. I wondered if I had been brought to this cell on purpose or if it was just coincidence. I don’t put much stock in believing things happen without a reason. Not when I had passed three empty cells before being put in this specific one.

“What do they have you in here for?” I inquired. My tone was nonchalant as I took a seat on the other end of the bench from him.

He shrugged and looked from me to the guard. It seemed almost clear to me he wasn’t going to say anything with company. I smiled again and shrugged, raising my voice a little as I continued to speak.

“I know what I am in here for and I didn’t do it. I don’t murder people.” I didn’t add that I did know people who did earn a living from that kind of work. It wasn’t common knowledge for every circle I traveled in.

He arched a brow at that and looked me over again. His eyes returned to the swell of my breasts but he did speak in a tone that was warm in its seductive qualities but was definitely male.

“They would not have you in here if they did not have solid evidence against you”

“How would you know?” I asked turning around on the bench a little to cross my right leg over the left and just stare at him.

“I’ve been through here before. What do they have against you?”

There could have been any number of reasons someone might ask me that. Why would he want to know the specifics of my case? It was a case now; the guard had arrested me as soon as my shift ended under an hour ago. I decided then and there it wasn’t a problem for me to talk to him about things. Nothing said in here could really change the powers in motion at the moment.

“Around ten years ago I meet this treasure hunter. Until I meet her face to face I had only heard bits and pieces of gossip from my co-workers at the bank. Stories about riches recently uncovered in some archeological site somewhere. I was lucky to be the only appraiser working that day when she came in with a dark box. I was brought into the back room where we do the private inspections and was surprised at what she had. “

I knew a wistful longing look passed briefly over my face as I thought about that time with Dioti. “From that time on we meet frequently. We talked a lot during inspections. Soon it was only I who she would go to for inspections and appraisals. I then started helping her on researching and the logics part of her treasure hunting expeditions.”

“The cost to go to a site is a lot more than most would think. Around two years ago she brought in Lady Faeti Morning Glory with her. They wanted to start a business up to deal in the searching for lost artifacts and possibly construct a museum for them to go into. They invited me on the board that would approve or deny the funding of various expeditions. The profits would belong to Lady Faeti, but those on board would receive a percentage of them. Dioti, the treasure hunter, would of course be able to go do the things she wanted to and could keep a piece from each site of her choosing.”

I shrugged and smiled. “The business has prospered. On a few occasions Miss Dioti Merrill found things that conflicted with our perceived recordings of history. Some items were seized.” I did not have to tell him the Silvermoon City officials kept them and hid them away. Nor did I tell him that Dioti always shows the items to Faeti first before stashing the bulk of them in a privately constructed personal museum built into a mountain somewhere.

“These minor interferences were always done in private. At least up until that one research expedition in April that we all went down to Feralas to search for an artifact. We didn’t find what we were looking for, but we all ended up returning home with a baby sprite darter. We also found something out that we probably never should have about the relationship between our people and the alliance, and the horde verses alliance conflict. The team completed the report and distributed it among those on the funding board. Two of the five members of the board have been murdered in the past few months.”

“This report also managed to get in the hands of a crowd that opposes Lady Faeti’s other personal interests. Her house also started up a committee called Al Diel Shala.” I was watching both him and the guard to gauge their personal reactions to the name. The guard looked enthralled with his book, never looking up or around, except he also never once turned a page since he picked it up.

“Al Diel Shala is a group that plans and prepares social gatherings that anyone can attend. It’s done in the idea that personal friendships and relationships can be forged between people who attend them in order to better understand each others race and bridge the gap between all people. “

He nodded his head and I couldn’t tell if he agreed with that thought or not. “There are people among the Sin’Dorei who do not like our merging into the horde and our allegiance to Thrall. They would have preferred if we chose a different path. There are also sect groups among Thrall’s champions that would have preferred if he never took us in under his wing as he did. They have made death threats against Lady Faeti and those serving on the committee. The two people who died from the treasure board also served on this one. “

I didn’t mention that I was one of the links between the two boards. He seemed smart enough to pick that up on his own. “I am being charged with both murders. The first death was Sir Varanis who died June first. His body was found in the alley close to the bank I work at. The second death was that of Sir Osek. He was found dead yesterday afternoon in the bank’s gentleman’s restrooms.”  

I knew the place of the bodies worked against me. I wasn’t worried about it. People were trying to place the blame on me and I didn’t know who or why. It didn’t make sense for the actual killer or killers were making it look like me. Logically, I was on the hit list if there was one from where I thought it came from. They were putting me a jail cell and under protection. Unless of course they had connections in this establishment to be able to murder me inside this place, but that seemed very unlikely.

I had to have overlooked some clue or something. I needed to get out of here to go over the facts and retrace some steps. The last project that I was asked to drawl up a contract was between the forsaken innkeeper at Brill and Lady Faeti over her renting some rooms on a regular basis for a gambling night. Could they have known something about the murders and wanted me out of the picture?

I smiled a little as I looked back at the guard. He still hadn’t turned a page in his book but he did lift his head to look out the open door at something I couldn’t see. A moment later the guard who initially locked me up came in to open the door to my holding.

“You have too many confirmed witnesses to you being seen at other places to account for the murders at this time. Don’t think we will not be watching you closely to see if you bought your freedom.”

It was a warning that sent a chill down my back. I cocked my head to the side and peered up at him. It was tempting to say something to him, but I kept my mouth closed, nodded to him so he knew I heard and walked out. I wouldn’t mind a guard watching me all the time; that would only make it harder for the person who might be trying to kill me.